The present invention relates to a ground anchor. More specifically, it refers to a stabilizer used in conjunction with a ground anchor rod for stabilizing the anchor rod in the soil.
A frequent problem is the movement of house trailers, tents and other structures in high winds caused by the pulling free of anchoring posts which have been set in soil. In addition, there is a common problem with fence posts where the bottom portion of the posts move in the soil causing the entire fence to shift and either collapse or become askew. The prior art is replete with methods attempting to stabilize fence posts as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 598,003; 624,724 and 672,625. U.S. Pat. No. 897,787 describes a device for stabilizing a shore anchor. U.S. Pat. No. 903,944 describes a spiraling ground anchor device supporting a post and U.S. Pat. No. 911,504 describes a land anchor which has a spiral auger secured to the lower end of a hollow shank. U.S. Pat. No. 1,214,679 describes a fence post anchor which is fined within a lower flange portion of the post. A lower portion of the post has slits which move out around the anchor. Additional patents relating to fence post anchors are U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,764,207; 2,799,369; 3,011,597; and 4,939,877. U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,149 describes a clothes dryer support. The support is a tubular post adapted to be imbedded into the ground. A broad bracing member is connected to an upper end of the tubular post. The vertical post is passed through a sleeve to retain the tubular post in an upright position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,827 describes a ground anchor having winged segments that receive an anchoring devices through a hollow interior portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,128 describes a beach anchor having a rod with a bottom end driven into beach sand and an upper end having a handle and a right angle plate surrounding the rod and stabilizing it in the sand.
Although the prior art describes many anchoring devices, the hunt continues for a device that will stabilize ground anchors at high loads such as in excess of four thousand pounds. The present invention solves this problem and differs from the teachings of the prior art by contemplating a plastic plate that can be pounded into the ground juxtaposed to a ground anchor rod.
A ground anchor rod stabilizer of this invention is a generally rectangular member having multiple thicknesses from a narrow bottom end portion through a thicker top end portion. The front face portion of the ground stabilizer has multiple oval shaped depressions covering its face for receiving soil upon being hammered into the ground. A back side portion of the ground anchor rod stabilizer has a pair of parallel spaced apart vertical protrusions which guide the stabilizer alongside a vertical rod or post which has been pounded into the ground as a ground anchor. The ground anchor stabilizer of this invention is made of high strength plastic and can withstand loads in excess of four thousand pounds. It is an object of this invention to prevent ground anchor rods or posts from pulling free from soil at high loads by providing a method and apparatus for stabilizing the ground anchor at loads exceeding four thousand pounds. These and other objects and aspects of the present invention will be better understood when the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments is read in conjunction with the appended drawing Figures.